Game of pass



June 30, 1925. 1,544,411

- H. H. KERN GAME OF PASS Filed May a, 1924 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 hw 2mm June 30, 1925. 1,544,411

H. H. KERN GAME OF PAS S Filed w 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M 201715 aw- Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT o FicE.

HARRY H. KER-N, or CORNELL, Wisconsin;

GAME OF PASS.

ApPIieation filed May 6, 1924. Serial No. 711,475.

quiring a considerable degree of skill and patience on the-part of the player; and to provide the novel game board disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the game board;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan of a modified form of game board.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View on line 66 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a plan View of a modification of the gameboard.

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I provide the game board 1 having a sinuous groove or channel 2 provided with a plurality of terminals 3, each of which has a slight depression 4. I provide a'number of balls correspondin with the number of terminals, the balls being diiferently colored to match the color of the portion ofthe groove in which they are originally placed, and in the preferred form of my invention the two balls '18 and 19 'are used as shown. The groove 2 consists of bends or corners 5 opening out of the terminals and having opposite small recesses or bays 6, then the groove continuing in courses 1 1, then continuing in bends or corners 7 having opposite recesses or bays 8, and continuingin courses 15, then opening into the bends or corners 9 which have opposite recesses or bays 10, then continuing in courses 16, and then terminating in the bends or corners 11 having opposite recesses or bays 12, and then continuing in the courses 17 which open into the large central pass groove portion 13. (Or in the form shown in Fig. 7, groove 2 terminates in passage 20.) The central large groove portion 13 is of a different color from the two groove portions on either side thereof; and said groove portions in turn are different from each other incolor.

The groove 2 in its main portions or courses is of a suitable widthand depth to allow a small ball of suitable diameter to run freely in it. The bends or corners of this groove are preferably. semi-circular, as shown in the drawings.

l/Vhen the game has'only two terminals, as shown in theaccompanying drawings,.

two small balls 18 and 19-are used to play it. (More balls areaddedif there are more terminals, as in Fig. Toillustrate the method of playing the game, one ofthe balls, which may for example be colored red," is placed in the terminal having a different color, .while the other ball is opposite terminal.- placed the balls in their opposite terminals, the gameboard is tilted until by properly and skillfully balancing the board the balls may be rolled from their respective corners to the central enlargement 13 and there made to pass each other, and thence to g0 on to their respective home terminals.

At first glance, the problem of bringing the little balls home to their respective terminals may seem to be an easy one, but after a trial the player finds out that this is not the case. In starting the gamehit is impossible tostart both balls running simultaneously. To start the game, for instance, the red ball 18 from the blue terminal 3, one would have to tip the game'board slightly towards the corner marked B, and then toward the corner marked A. While these movements are necessary to start the red ball from the blue terminal, they will positively prevent the blue ball, resting at the red terminal, from getting a start. The blue ball, however, will get started as soon as we tip the gameboard towards the corner C, in order to make the red ball take the course 14. Following up on the movement of the red ball, and in order to make it pass'round the bend 7, one must tip the gameboard in the direction of corner A, and then toward corner B. l/Vlii1e these movements will make the red ball advance, they also would tend to make the blue ball run back to the red terminal, which of course should be prevented. In order to facilitate the holding of one ball at the bend between the straight courses while the other ball advances, there are provided at the inside of the bends the small recesses or bays,6, 8, 10

V and 12, as illustrated in the drawings. These little recesses or bays are a very important part of this gameboard, because without V placed in the After thus. having. a

- them it would be very diificult to *gamepmperly. I

' Figures 4' and 5 illustrate a modified form.

of my'invention havingthe straight courses of the continuous groove arranged parallel h -with theedges of the board instead of diagonally thereto and with the bends or corners 5 omittedrrbut otherwise being of similar 'ni'ra-iigeinelit with the form illustratedin FrguresltoS. V

1.111: a balancing game, the combination of a gameboard havinga sinuous groove, a

plurality of terminals in which said groove terminates, the sinuous groove having anenlarged central portion, a plurality ot' courses intervening between the enlarged central portion and each of the terminals,

and bends o-rcorners connecting said courses, and ineludingbays in the bends.

{In a balaneingigame, the combination ofa gameboard having a sin-nous groove, a

P y h portion and each of-the terminak, and bends or corners connecting said courses, and IQ" cesses. formed in. between the respective courses and opposite eachof thebends or corners.

- 3. In a balancing game,' the combination of a gameboard having a sinuous vgroove,

said groove terminating: in oppositely ;po sitioned terminals, each of'said terminals hav- 1 'ing a slight depressiontoreceive and releasablv hold -balls,ivthelgroove having anenlarged central portion, groove; also havbends' or corners connecting the courses, and

having bays intervening between the courses 7 and positioned; adjacent to or opposite the bends or corners, the enlarged central por 1 tion of the'groove beingo-f one color and the portions of the groove? extending on either side thereof beingofi other and differintervening between: the.-,.- enlargpdlcentral ln' a lnralit ofeon rsesand a luralit of 2: PV 3' V P. y

sent colors, and a iplnralityiof balls of differ;-

ent jcolois' ton'mtch the colors of the grooves.

- .HIA'RRY H, KERN. 

